Sven-V. Rehm
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#Inference matters...
I am a researcher working at the intersection of management, information systems, and the systems sciences.
My work focuses on Collective Intelligence — the evolving dynamics of how groups think, decide, and act together, particularly when shaped by artificial intelligence and digital infrastructures.
As a cybernetician, I start from a simple premise: inference matters.
It is not technology itself, but our capacity to draw distinctions, create meaning, and coordinate action that determines how digital systems influence communication, organization, and society.
My research explores how organizations, open initiatives, and cities can harness AI not merely to optimize processes, but to improve collective sensemaking, innovation, and decision-making under conditions of complexity and uncertainty.
I am particularly interested in hybrid intelligence: the interplay between human judgment, organizational structures, and AI-enabled systems.
RESEARCH
Collective Intelligence
My research centers on hybrid collectives — teams, networks, and organizations augmented by digital technologies. I study how these collectives structure themselves, adapt over time, and develop shared understanding and coordinated action in complex environments.
A particular focus lies on
inferential dynamics: how interpretations emerge, stabilize, and shift — and how these processes shape collective decision-making and performance.
DIGITAL PLATFORMS & INFRASTRUCTURES
Digital platforms and infrastructures form the scaffolding of contemporary ecosystems — especially in organizational and inter-organizational contexts.
My work examines how such infrastructures enable (or constrain)
collective learning, coordination, and reorganization, with a particular emphasis on
hybrid teams,
business ecosystems, and
urban sustainability and governance.
METHODS
I apply a broad range of research and design methods, including:
- Qualitative empirical research
- Design Science Research
- System Dynamics
- Natural Language Processing (e.g. semantic analysis, knowledge graphs, GraphRAG)
These approaches allow me to connect
interpretive depth with
formal structure, supporting both theory-building and applied intervention.
PROTOTYPES & RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES
My methodological work is complemented by the development of research-driven prototypes that translate conceptual insights into operational tools.
A central example is Stratify, a prototype system for the qualitative analysis and simulation of complex decision landscapes. Stratify supports the structured exploration of narratives, interpretations, and feedback dynamics using AI-assisted inferential analysis.
The prototype is developed in the context of
DeepDynamIQ and the
CAIR Institute, which provide organizational frameworks for collaborative research, experimentation, and knowledge transfer.
RECENT ACTIVITIES
COOPERATION
I am committed to making research actionable.
Since 2000, I have worked on more than 40 digitalization projects with private companies and public organizations across Europe, supporting initiatives in:
- information management
- innovation and transformation
- organizational and strategic design
I have led and acquired over a dozen cooperative research projects, with a combined volume exceeding €30 million, often at the intersection of academia, industry, and public institutions.
This practical orientation also informs the development of research-driven prototypes and methods, including Stratify — a prototype system for analyzing and simulating complex decision landscapes using AI-supported qualitative inference.
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES
I am open to various forms of collaboration, including:
Workshops
- Future Foresight
- Networked Innovation
- Collective & Systems-Based Decision-Making
Coaching
- Digital Transformation
- Systems Thinking
- Managerial Cybernetics
Cooperations
- Co-design of research-intensive projects
- Development of analytical methods and prototypes
- Acquisition and execution of third-party funded projects (e.g. EU)
EDUCATION
Diploma in Cybernetics Engineering
University of Stuttgart, Germany, 1995-2000
Doctor of Engineering
University of Stuttgart, Germany, 2001-2006
Habilitation in Business Administration
WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, 2014
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
TUM Global Visiting Professor 2020-2021
Technical University of Munich
Research collaboration with the Chair of Software Engineering for Business Information Systems on digital infrastructures
Best Paper Awards and Runner-ups
AMCIS 2019 · ACIS 2018 · ICEIS 2018
MIS Quarterly Executive — AIS Senior Scholars Best Paper Award Nomination (2015)
“The Role of Information Systems in Empowering Innovation Networks”
Rehm, Goel, Junglas (2015), MIS Quarterly Executive, 14(3), 87–103.
Finalist — Best Project Award in Industrial Technologies (2012)
European Commission, Enterprise and Industry ICT High-Level Expert Group on Key Enabling Technologies
Finalist with the AVALON project, recognized for its systemic innovation potential and its contribution to industrial transformation in complex innovation ecosystems.